Corset-fastener.



sTA'rEs PATENT ADoEPH E. PoLnocK, oF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIveNon To I'MrnovEn stray COMPANY, A. I

CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY. -l

\ CORSET-EASTENEE.

citizen of the United States, residing in the city ofANew4 York, county of Bronx, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and. useful Corset-Fastener, of which van improvement upon'the device disclosed ,in a priorPatent No. 1,07 5,438 granted to Ro'- senberg andmyself on October 14, 1913.

In my present invention the device is constructed to meet the demand for a compact,

simple and economical construction of ay flexible 'character and of small cross sectional dimensions so that forv all practical purposes the new fastener will serve asa corset steel. At the same time the device embodies means whereby thestuds may be individuallyconnected toth'e keepers and retained rseparately by the latches, provision being made forjthe simultaneous release of said latches inorder that the fastening maybe quickly uncoupled to the end that the corset may be removed rowsv ofv spacing. studs 12- posl'tionedin con-` `tact with plate '11" for 4 retaining said lates 1 with ease and facility.l x l An importantrv feature of my devlc'econsists in the provision' of latches-which are *positioned'for thev hooks thereofjto point downward1y5-'in'-order that the studs cannot be pulledfout'of positionor disengaged from the latches'during the operation of fitting4v said studs successively into engagement with-v tively: tothe other plate, 1' Thexplate 10 is provided, also, with af seriesl of integra-l keepers 14, each -struck up with 'platel 10 v the keepersand the latches., a v

` struction fthe steel composed oftwo connected .flat pieces with an intermediate re-. leasing banthe latter coperating with all the latches in such a way as to permit indil 40 ving a spring, and a, single releasing bar invidual pivotalmovement of lsaid, latches and v at the-same time said bar will actsimultaneously on thelatches for releasing the studs.

Another feature consists in the combinationwitha series of keepers'on a metal member offafseries of .pivoted latches each-havcontact with 'said latches, said springs'ating on thel latches for .individually retaining' the'same in position and certain or all of said springs and latches controlling the position of the' releasing bar'for retalning the latter in an at rest position', whereby a Separate spring forI the releasing bar is' obviated.

Other`features and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following de?` tailed descriptlon.

vSpeciieation of Letters. Iateiit.l i Patented July 18, 1916. Application led April 3, 1915. I Serial No. 18,905.` v:

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation o f a corset fastener embodying my' inven. tlon." F1g. 2 1s an elevation 'of the. latch carrying member lwith one-of the plates removed to show the latches and thev release bar. Fig. 3'is an enlarged cross section on4 Iclude bending. Fig. 7 is a detail view in elevation, partly in section, illustrating' a preferred form of. the latch and the means whereby the latch is retained in position,

thus facilitating assemblage: of the latch with respect to the'fkeeper and zthe other parts of the device'.v

The iexible latch-carryingmember of m fastener comprises' a palr of paralleljyiel 'L' vable plates 10, 11, composed of thin metal,

sa,l

each stamped from a single piece "of sheet material. The vplate 10 is rovided with in .spaced parallely relation.. Oneo Said plates` `vis `provided at, the respective edges' with clips 13 adapted to embracel the other to permit A one plate to slide endwiserelaone edge thereof, each keeper eing folded or doubled upon' itself and the free endl of' the metal being-.formed with a stud 15,l

vplate so -as to retain. the two plates in a conj nected condition, although itmay be desired' which enters anl aperture in the other 'art ofthe keeper or in the plate `10. ach

keeper is provided in -the' two parts of, the

folded metal composing it' with a slot 16,

the end 168L of which opens or 'extends -through the Afree end'part-ofsaid keeper. 'a #A series of latches 17 are employed,'thef--' number of latches correspohding to' the `105- keepers, and each .latch A andvv the actuating spring'therefor being composed 'of a single piece ofmetal,preferably a-single'stamping.

The latch' is provided'with a'curv'ed heel'18,

'a hook 19, a spring "20 Aand a ide slot. 21,

saidsprin'g being Aintegral' lwith the latch and 'extending "outwardly from the pivotal the parallel withinY t end thereof. Said latches are positioned so :as to. be partially incased by and between plates and for the hooks to lie doubledkeepers, veach latch -being g2;,by;a;stud or tubular `rivet 22 -said tubular rivets 22, 23 being punched up v`rfroi'nftheA metal -of the plate 10. The guide sloti21of thelatch is concentric with the `pivot22, said slot receiving the stud 15 of the keeper with which the latchy coperates,

whereby .the latch is retained in proper polsitionby the coperating plates 10, 11, and ythe doubled keeper. p

24 designates a releasing bar which is in-` cased by the plates 10, 11 and is slidably retained in position therebetween by one row of clips 13 and one row of spacing studs 12.

l fThe bar 24 is a single stamping of `iexible etal so as to iiex'with theplates 10, 11 of helatchscarrying member, `said bar being :e rovided with a series of spaced fingers 25 l) which extend from the bar and are curved lengthwise, each finger being a rounded end lv26 in contact with the curved heel 18 of one -side .of 'the plates 10, l1, Ysofas ft'o be, exposed .-g for convenient access inordenftapplvpres sure in a lmannerto `im art movement inv one l direction to the release ar. A secondv member 33 is provided with the usual studs 34 adapted to enter the slotted keepers of the flexible member to be engaged and retained by the latches. The two 'members, one provided with studs, and the other with the keepers and the latches, are adapted to be secured as usua-l to the two edges of the corset or other device to be coupled. In my p 10E-@fitting VVin an aperture provided 'ni'theiheel fof/the latch. The springs 20off-'s'aid lateh'es'arev in contact with other l studs or tubular rivets 23 on the plate 10,

. fastener, the studs of one member are in-- -tended tobe engaged separately and suc- 'cessively kwith the keepers on the other r member, "forfwhich purpose the latches are yieldableindividual y.with respect toV the eleasehargand=durng thiscoupling operadedY -i'rompulling out -of engagement with he'/lathes,for-#theL reason that thejfiks??of-l said?. latches l are pointed downwardly so that the studs can be rotated relaively-r-to and in cont'aet with said hooks of y.the ylatches during fthe couplingl operation. Asthe stud passes through Athe open end of lStands;engaged with one keeper are plate 10, and it so stilfens the keeper as to the slotted keeper, said stud rides against latches are movable independently of said After the stud 'clears the hook of the bar. latch, the spring forces the latch back into position for again closing the throat to the slot in the keeper, thus precluding the stud from releasing itself or passing out of the slotted keeper. To release the latches simultaneously it is only necessary to press upon the lfinger piece, whereupon the release bar is lifted and. all the fingers of said release bar exert pressure upon the curved heels of the latches, the latter being turned simultaneously on their individual pivots and against the tension of their separate springs so as to retract the latches relatively to the keepers and thus open the slots in said keepers for the free egress of all the studs at one operation. The fastener -thus permits the studs to be disengaged from the keep/ers at 'one operation, and the corset can thusl be vreleased and removed with ease and facility.

It will be noted that in my device the re- .lease bar is not controlled by or associated with a 'spring separate from the springs of the lindividual latches, but, on the contrary,v the latch springs perform the double function of retaining the latches individually in their normal closed positions and of retaining the release bar in a normal position in contact with all the latches, while at the sametimethe parts are so organized and related that the latches areffree to move in a keeper without. affecting or ehanglng the ijf-position of theA release bar.

'JA characteristic feature of my invention is the flexible member carrying the keepers `and latches, said'member being so compact in construction that itslcross sectional dimension is practically the same as an ordinary corset steel.

1t is found `in practice that the keeper 14 is liable to bend out of position under the strain of the stud 34 or from other causes. 1n order to stiiien the keeper to such an extent as to preclude bending, l prefer to provide thev ribs or' corrugations 35, see Figs. 3 and v6, said ribs being formed in the metal of thev keeperonopposite sides of the slot 16 and ysaid ribs extending into 4the metal of the plate 10 to a point beyond the edge of the plate. This construction adds materially'to the .strength of the kee-per, particularly .when it is made integral with the les i struct thev latch and the keeper asin Fig. :7,

whereby the slot 211 is omitted in the latch and the keeper is formedwith two studs 36,

one of which coperates with a recess 37 in' y* y in operativev relation to said latches.

the latch, so as to limit the movement. of 'the latch. relative to the keeper.. In' the preferred form shown, the .upper member of,

the keeper is provided with two studs 36 which are inserted through the late 10. and clenched at the time of ben ing 'up the.'y

".metal. The latch is formedwith the recess relative movement between theplates due c to the arcuate form assumed by them, and,

37, and said latch is inserted into the keepery between the studs 3.6, the latch being slipped over the pivot stud' 22 and the spring fitted against the/*stud 23, whereby the assemJ blage 'of the latches is'facilitated.

In my device the latches and the release bar are positioned and retained between-the plates 10, 11, and 'in-practice 1t is foundthat when the stay'is bent or curved there is a accordingly, the frictional contact of the latches with` one plate may and sometimes does result in movement of--thev latch or latches so as to release the'studsL To over- 'come this defect, the latches and the` fingers of the release bar are so positioned and arranged as to'secure a limited lost motion between them. This enables the two plates,

`the release bar 4'and the'latches tobend in.

' one direction or the other without affecting the position'of the. latches relative to the keepers.` Thus in the drawings the latches 17 and iingers'25of the release bar are not in actual contact, but a slight interval or l Y space is left between the edges of the latches and-the ingersof the release bar.

Having thus fully described the invention, what Il claim as new, and desireto secu'rejby Letters4 Patent is: c

1.-In a fastener, the lcombination with a ted keepers on vsaid second stay,of. latches pivoted -to the second stay for coperation with said keepers and adapted to retain the vstuds of thev first stay within the -s'lots of said keepers, and a releasing bar for im'- parting movement tosaid latches, said'releasing bar being free fromdi'rect attachment to said latches and cooperating there'- with to secure a limited lost motion wheref,

and thedlatches are adapted to conform thereto-without being acted upon pby 1 said releasing' 'bar to free the' studsl'vfrom fthe 2. In a fastener, the combinati" n1 stay, c

vclips,y one of 'said plate'l b .and keepers :on second-stay, latches free from `direct attachment toA the keepers latches are adapted to conform to the bend- 1ng 'or flexing movements of the second stay while operating to retainthe studs within direct attachment to said latches to Asecure a limited lost motion between said bar and the latches so Ias to retain the releasing'bar means for retaining each latch in aposition to close the open end of the slot of said keeper with which thelatch coperates, and

a flexible releasing member slidable with re- V spect to the stay, 4said releasing member" having operating means free from direct attachment-to th latchesfand adapted to oper-4 ate said latches simultaneously' by a move'- ment in one direction of said releasing mem? ber.

and pivoted to the second stay, whereby the v'the keepersanda releasing bar .free from 4. In a fastener ofthe class described, a

stay provided interiorlyl thereof with a subf stantially continuous. chamber, andv a plurality of chambered keepers positioned exteriorly to said stay, the chambers of said keepers being in substantial register with said chamber of the stay, combined with disconnected latches inc sed partially Within the chamber of the sta; and each latch being incased partially within a chamber of one of i said keepers, and releasing means incased f l. bythe stay and coperating with the incased parts of said latches.

5. In', a vfastener, the combination 'fof-'ia' flexible-stay provided with a-substantially Aclosed latch-receiving space orl chamber, .a

' plurality of keepers each provided with a latch-receiving space or chamber and with a stud-receiving slot, a plurality of latches pivoted to the stay, said latches being substantially4 incased within the-space of the f I. stayuand the space of the keepers, and a releasing, member incased also by tayvn coperatingwahthe latches.

A `6;"In a corsetl fastener, a flexible member composed of a plurality of parallelyield;

able plates connectedtogether and provided With a series of vkeepers 'zombined'j with a release bar slidable between said latesland.v

incased thereby, and 4latches. `p1voted` b e-L tween said platesfand coperating-,with saldi keepers and with therelease bar-,said latches j being substantially incased between said plates and by'the keepers. 1 a 7. `In a corset fastener-,a iiexiblemember composed of al luralityofplatsjheldiapart byA 'spacingstu s and connected-'together by o'ded with keepers, combined with latches pivotedy between the plates and movable with respect to the keepers, and a release bar slidably confined between the plates, said release bar being provided with fingers normally in contact with saidlatches. L

8. A flexible stay embodying aplate and a plurality of keepers, each keeper being composed of a plate unitary with the stay plate and folded upon itself to produce two parts, said parts of the keeper being provided 'with' slots which open through the end'of the keeper distant from the plate and `said keeper being provided adjacent to the slot therein with a rib for stif'fening the parts against bending relatively to each.

other, combined with separate'latches posi'- tioned for operation intermediate the parts of the keeper and across the slots therein,

said ,latches being individually pivoted to4 the stay and free from direct attachment to the keepers, andmeans for operating the latches. Y

9. In a fastener of the class described, a

stay plate, and a keeper, saidvkeeper com-- prising two parts positioned parallel to each other and one of which is -unitary with said stay plate, the other of said keeper parts bev ing provided with prongs which are at'- tached to the first named part, and said prongs being spaced-relatively to each other whereby said prongs serve'as stops in lim- 1t1ng the movement of a latch, combined .with a latch partially incased within the spring control, said release bar being pro- `other andv fastened together,

keeper and positioned for movement'between sald prongs, means for retaining the latch in operative relation tothe plate and theV keeper, and means for operating. the latch.

10. Ina corset stay, the combination of a plate providedwith aseries ofl keepers, a seriesl of Aspring-pressed latches pivoted to said-plate, and a release bar free from direct plates and positioned exteriorly to the "stay, each keeper being provided with a slot andl with a chambersaid chambersl of thel keepers being in substantial register with the chamber of the stay, combined with disconnected latches each-partially incased bythe chamkeepers,

:by the spaces of the stay andthe keepers,

ber of the stay and by the chamber of one the stay, and a releasing member incased wlthin the stay, said releasing member cooperating with the parts of the latches incased within the stay. A

12. In a fastener, a chambered stay provided withv a plurality of chambered keepers, said keepers projecting from the edge v'of the chamber stay and each keeper being slotted for receiving studs on a com-- panion stay, combined with latches substantially incased by said chambered stay and the chambered keepers, each latch being pivoted within the chambered stay, and a releasing member also substantially incased by the stay for coperation with said latches.

13. In a fastener of the class described, a stay provided interiorly thereof with a space extending substantially continuously within the samexand a plurality of keepers extending outwardly from an edge portion of the stay, each keeper being provided interiorly thereof with. a space which is in substantial register with said continuous space of the stay, combined with latches substantially incased within the spaces of the stay and the said latches being pivoted to the stay, `meansfor retaining each latch normally in ay closed position relatively to the keeperwith which the'latch is associated, anda releasing member incasedby the stay, said releasing member being free from direct attachment -to said latches.

l14. In a fastener, a stay provided with an interior space and with a plurality of keepers each having a space yinteriorly thereof,Y combined'with latches substantially inoased saidlatches being provided with an attached spring and each latch being pivoted to the stay forY the spring to retalnI the latch 1n closedrelation to one keeper, and releasing means for said latches.

. v 15. In a fastener, a stay comprislng separate-plates providing a latch receiving space, and a series of keepers integral with one of said plates, each keeper being composed of metal folded to produce two parts one of which is substantially flush with the other of said stay plates, combined with latches substantially incased between the plates ofthe stay, and withinthe two parts of the respective keepers, and means for actuating 115 said latches. e

In testimony v.whereof I have slgned my name to this specification. v ADOLIH E. PULLOCK. Witnesses: i I-I. I. BERNHARD,

' EYERMAN. 

